Author: Sean Ryder

Good shoulder girdle function is important for a lot of sporting and work tasks and any physiotherapy centre will testify to shoulder dysfunction causing a considerable loss to quality of life. Your shoulder is a complicated joint. It is a ‘ball and socket’ joint that relies heavily on the ligamentous structures and also various muscles (known as the rotator cuff) to give it stability and allow for good function. It works really closely with the cervical spine as well as the thoracic spine (upper back) to allow full and pain-free movement. The complicated anatomy of the shoulder makes it very prone to injury. There are numerous reasons for shoulder discomfort which range from significant injuries such as dislocation and bone fracture, to tears of the rotator cuff and to pain which comes on slowly and progresses with time. The key to effective treatment is based on correct diagnosis. This can only be done through a detailed assessment by way of a physio.

The local physiotherapist will perform an examination. This will entail a thorough examination of the shoulder joint including testing the movements and assessing the muscles. It will also include an examination of your neck and also thoracic spine to be sure that your shoulder problem is not coming from here. During the assessment, your physio brisbane will look for any unusual movement patterns of the shoulder. This is generally as a result of joint stiffness or muscle imbalances; where some muscles do an excessive amount of work while others do not do enough, probably as a result of weakness. It is important that any biomechanical issues are attended to so that the injury does not recur.

Treatment methods will vary greatly and will be influenced by what is causing your shoulder problem. Mobilization of the shoulder joint and also the upper back will help with loosening the area and will facilitate greater movement. If your symptoms are coming from a different area then this will also be treated. Any tense structures around the shoulder and spine will be addressed with deep tissue massage, trigger point releasing, exercises and possibly dry needling (acupuncture) by your physio brisbane to help ease any regions of tension and muscle spasm. Strengthening any weak muscles of the shoulder girdle is extremely important, and that’s why, your physiotherapy treatment program will involve some sort of home exercise; either a strengthening program to enhance the biomechanics of the shoulder or otherwise exercises to work on reducing stiffness in the region..

In some instances it might be necessary to conduct investigations to help identify the exact source of the pain; This might involve an x-ray or even a referral onto an orthopaedic specialist and will be discussed with you if needed

Injuries to the shoulder girdle are some of the most complex and painful types of injuries. It is extremely important to see your local physiotherapist when these types of injuries occur to ensure a treatment programme is set in place to guarantee your quality of life goes back to normal as quickly as possible.